Can You Apply to Two Programs at Once in the UK and Australia?!

📍 Yes, you can

Applying to two programs at the same time doesn't affect how the school decides whether to admit you; your eligibility is still assessed on your actual background. That's also why you can apply to programs in different fields at the same time. In that case, though, you'd better have a different version of your SOP for each. You can use the same CV, unless you have a lot of experience and outstanding achievements in each field you're applying to, in which case you'd make two versions. For RLs, you'd pick recommenders closer to each program you're applying to.

📍 UK

Most schools accept applications to more than one program at the same time. From there, there are two scenarios:

1. If you apply to two programs at the same time, in most cases you'll need to pay the application fee twice. Say applying to the first program costs £60; applying to the second one costs another £60.

2. If the school lets you rank programs by preference, you only pay the application fee once. The school reviews your first-choice program first, and if it decides you're not a fit, it moves on to your second choice. Examples: the London School of Economics (LSE) and Imperial College London (ICL).

📍 Australia

1. In Australia, most schools have you list your program preferences when you apply, so you only pay the application fee once. You list your top two program choices in the application system (a few schools allow three). If you're not admitted to your first choice, the school reviews the next programs in order.

2. The University of Sydney doesn't let you rank preferences, so if you really want to apply to two programs, you need to submit two applications.

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